UIL Announces Classification Numbers

UIL Announces Classification Numbers

On Monday the UIL announces classification numbers for the 2014-2015 athletic year.

AUSTIN -- In an unprecedented move, on Monday the UIL announced classification numbers for the 2014-2015 athletic year.

The act marked the first time in history that the governing body of the Texas High School sports announced the classification numbers before announcing the new districts. "Realignment Day," as it is often called, typically happens in the first week of February.

In the new realignment, the UIL will get rid of "Six-Man" classification and bump "Six-Man" to "1A." Teams will still play six-man football, but now, they will just be known as 1A.

Because of that, all of the classifications will be moved up--the classification currently known as "5A" will be moved up to "6A," and so on.

The UIL again divides schools that are 1A through 4A into Division One and Division Two. For example; Borger and Pampa will be classified as 4A Division One, Dalhart, Bushland, and Perryton are now 4A Division Two.

The early announcement is beneficial to coaches as they attempt to make their non-district schedules.

"Having knowledge now of the cutoff numbers we know whose in 5A whose in 6A, it allows us to put two scenarios together on how we schedule; whereas before we were totally in the dark" said Tascosa AD and head football coach Ken Plunk. The Rebels will be in 6A in the upcoming realignment.

"It helps tremendously because the biggest thing we want to do in non district is prohibit long travel and so when you know exactly whose not gonna be in your district you can go ahead and find the closest opponent" added River Road head coach Phillip Wiggins.

An example of a few teams in our area and their new classification numbers includes:6A: Amarillo High and Tascosa5A: Palo Duro, Caprock, Canyon, Randall, Dumas, Hereford4A: Borger, Pampa, Bushland, Dalhart, Perryton3A: River Road2A: Canadian, Panhandle, Stratford, Wellington, Boys Ranch, West Texas High

We will know for sure which schools are in which districts once the districts are announced in February.